Chapter 196: This Feels Like a Dream!
Oborotsuki looked at Samui with sincere eyes and smiled gently as he explained.
There was no need to say anything more.
Just seeing how flustered Samui was in front of him—desperately trying to make sure he didn't misunderstand—Oborotsuki already knew he would soon have this girl completely won over.
"Huh? What?"
Samui stared at the sincere Oborotsuki, completely lost in admiring his stunningly handsome face.
As a result, she only caught half of what Oborotsuki had just said.
Something about being serious, something about joking—Samui suddenly felt a little lost.
"I mean, what I said to you earlier—when I said this is our first date—I was being serious."
Oborotsuki repeated it for her once more.
This time, Samui heard it clearly—very, very clearly.
She confirmed it wasn't her imagination, and Oborotsuki hadn't misspoken.
For a moment, Samui instinctively lowered her head, pressed her lips tightly together, and clasped her hands, not knowing how to respond to Oborotsuki's words.
"Why aren't you saying anything again?"
Oborotsuki remained composed and took two steps forward, closing the distance between them even more.
This time, Samui didn't show much resistance.
She simply kept her head down and murmured softly:
"I… I don't know…"
"Don't know what?"
Oborotsuki smiled warmly and took two more steps toward her.
Now the distance between them was less than one meter.
They were so close that Oborotsuki could clearly hear Samui's wildly racing heartbeat.
"Lord Oborotsuki… so you're… pursuing me?"
Samui's face turned bright red as she asked the question she had wanted to ask but had been too afraid to voice.
After saying it, she became so embarrassed that she didn't know how to face Oborotsuki anymore.
In a panic, she turned her body slightly to the side, almost turning her back to him to avoid his burning, sun-like gaze.
"Ah… I'm sorry."
"Because Kirigakure has been reduced to that state, but I didn't want to waste too much time waiting for the village to finish rebuilding before taking you out."
"So I could only bring you here first."
Oborotsuki explained seriously, showing an innocent, harmless smile.
After hearing his explanation, Samui finally breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded in understanding:
"Oh… I see."
"Wait… d-date?"
Only then did Samui fully register what he had said. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Oborotsuki.
He, however, simply nodded with a meaningful smile:
"That's right. A date. Our first date."
"Lord… Lord Oborotsuki…"
"I don't like jokes like this."
Although she was still a little afraid of Oborotsuki,
after all, he was the second-in-command of Kirigakure—his status far above hers.
More importantly, his strength was overwhelming.
Four villages had joined forces and still couldn't defeat him. Offending him would have serious consequences…
But right now, facing such a personal and emotional matter, Samui—as a young woman—was very sensitive.
She shook her head firmly and looked at Oborotsuki seriously, making her stance clear.
"You don't like me, or you don't like me joking?"
Oborotsuki was shamelessly thick-skinned.
He didn't feel angry or embarrassed at all by Samui's words.
Hearing him ask that, Samui's expression softened a little. She subconsciously lowered her head again, deliberately avoiding Oborotsuki's gaze.
She really didn't know how to answer his question.
So she simply kept her head down and stayed silent.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
Oborotsuki took a step forward.
This movement startled Samui, causing her heart to jump. But she didn't dare move, afraid Oborotsuki would misunderstand.
She could only stand there anxiously, not knowing what to do.
Like a helpless little kitten.
"Looks like you don't like me after all…"
"Sorry, I was being too presumptuous."
Oborotsuki deliberately stopped about two or three meters in front of Samui. After staring at her for a long moment, he shook his head with a tone full of disappointment and sighed.
Then, looking dejected, he turned and started walking back.
"Let's go back, Samui."
"Let's just pretend none of this ever happened."
Seeing Oborotsuki's lonely and dejected back, and hearing his disappointed words, Samui's heart softened.
She hadn't meant it that way. In a rush, she hurriedly explained:
"Lord Oborotsuki, please wait…"
"No need. I'm feeling quite sad right now."
Oborotsuki waved his hand without turning around.
"Lord Oborotsuki…"
Samui jogged after him. When she caught up behind him, she slowed down, clasped her hands tightly, and bit her lip.
Oborotsuki continued walking forward without a sound.
"I'm sorry, Lord Oborotsuki. What I said earlier was too rude. I didn't consider your feelings…"
"I… I actually… I actually didn't mean it that way."
Samui felt it was better to explain clearly.
She really didn't want Oborotsuki to misunderstand her, and she especially didn't want him to feel hurt, sad, or lose face because of a misunderstanding.
Samui followed behind Oborotsuki with an apologetic expression, head lowered.
Suddenly, she noticed Oborotsuki had stopped.
Caught off guard, she nearly bumped into his back. She looked up at him in surprise.
"What did you just say?"
Oborotsuki asked with a hint of pleasant surprise, looking at Samui expectantly.
"I, I meant…"
Samui's gaze met Oborotsuki's bright, expressive black eyes, and once again she felt her heart skip a beat, like a little deer running wild.
She panicked and looked away, not daring to meet those charming eyes that seemed to speak.
"I meant… I…"
"You don't dislike me joking—you just don't like me, right?"
Oborotsuki's mouth slowly curved into a smile as he looked at Samui and asked.
"I don't know if I should like you, Lord Oborotsuki… No, I mean I actually do like you in my heart, but I don't know if that's appropriate, and it's not that I dislike your jokes…"
Samui didn't know how to explain clearly enough for Oborotsuki to understand her true, complicated feelings.
Her emotions were a tangled mess right now.
It would be a lie to say she had no good feelings toward Oborotsuki.
But those feelings were mostly admiration—his outstanding looks, extraordinary status, and overwhelming strength, among other things.
These were based on initial admiration and didn't go much further.
Yet at this moment, Oborotsuki was openly pursuing her… Well, his earlier words could probably be considered a form of courtship, right?
Although Samui herself hadn't had much romantic experience, she looked forward to love—especially the idea of dating someone as incredibly handsome as Oborotsuki.
But he was an enemy of Kumogakure.
He was the second-in-command of Kirigakure.
How could she… possibly be with him?
Their statuses and positions were completely unequal to begin with, not to mention all the other factors that could affect any relationship between them.
Samui couldn't express her true, complicated feelings.
Right now, facing Oborotsuki, she felt anxious and distressed.
Oborotsuki, however, had been watching this adorable beauty the entire time.
Seeing Samui flustered, desperately trying to explain herself but unable to articulate her thoughts clearly, he couldn't help but smile inwardly.
"Actually, I wasn't joking earlier."
"I was serious."
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